ASSA14-03-17 Effect of monocytic extracellular vesicles on proliferation of human vascular smooth muscle cells

Aim To study the effect of monocytic extracellular vesicles (EVs) on proliferation of human vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Methods EVs were isolated from culture medium supernatants of THP-1 cells by differential centrifugation. The protein concentration of EVs was measured using BCA assay. The proliferation of VSMCs was evaluated by [ 3 H] thymidine incorporation and Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8). The phosphorylation and expression of protein were detected by immunoblotting. Results Monocytic EVs promoted the proliferation of VSMCs in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. EVs from monocytes pretreated with LPS for 1h exhibited significantly stronger effects on VSMCs proliferation. EVs stimulated the phosphorylation of ERK, JNK and P38, and the expressions of c-fos and c-jun in VSMCs. Conclusion EVs from monocytes could promote the proliferation of VSMCs, which is associated with the activation of MAPK pathways.